A New Beginning
by Duckett-1
Summary: Emerlyn Jones is a very special girl-she is Peter Pan's favorite Lost One, and has the magic ability to call Lost Boys with a simple song. She's his greatest weapon and treasure, but it was only because he stole her from her father, Killian Jones, two-hundred years ago. This story is about what happens when they find Emer on Neverland while trying to save Henry. Season 3 & on.
1. Prologue

Killian stepped aboard the Jewel of the Realm, and chastised the crew for drinking before his brother, the captain, climbed onboard.

Emerlyn poked her head up from below deck, watching.

Killian turned to her and winked, smiling faintly as his brother stepped forward.

She smiled back and ducked beneath the deck.

Liam shook his head at the pair, but smiled faintly at his niece before she vanished.

When they set off, Killian went below deck.

Emer was sitting just out of sight of the crew mates, idly swinging her legs as she sat on top of a barrel tucked into a corner.

He smiled at her. "Morning, Em."

She grinned back. "Morning." She returned. "How's everything?"

"Wonderful. Ready for sailing." He said as he sat beside her.

"And where are we going this time?" She asked like they hadn't just had this conversation the night before.

"Why don't you ask the captain? I'm not sure."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "You're first mate."

"But I don't know," he said with a laugh. "Your uncle got orders from the king himself."

"And he didn't tell you?" She asked, leaning to nudge him with her shoulder.

"Not yet. He told me it was special though. So I have a feeling it's going to fantastic." Killian told her with a smile, kissing the top of her head as she leaned over.

She grinned quickly hugging her father before he slipped off the barrel beside her.

"I'll come get you tonight so you can see this place." He promised, kissing her forehead.

She nodded and slipped down a little further into her hiding place. "Star watching too?" She asked hopefully.

Killian turned over his shoulder to smile at her again. "Of course. You bring that little journal of yours?"

She nodded quickly and he grinned at her again before climbing above deck once more.

She pulled it out and quickly scribbled down a few notes.

When her father finally came back to get her, it was well past dark, the whole deck covered in shadows and the stars bright overhead.

She followed him quickly up the stairs.

He smiled at her as she stepped up, looking quickly up at the stars to see if there were any new ones, or if these were the same ones she could see from home.

They weren't not all of them, and she couldn't help but notice there seemed to be two north stars. Second star to the right. She wrote down in her notebook.

"Stay here." Her father whispered quickly. "I've got to talk to your uncle."

She nodded, sitting on the side and jotting down more notes with quickly sketched maps.

Her Uncle Liam pulled a rope and opened a sail made of Pegasus feathers, and the mass of white downy lifted them into the sky at the next breeze.

Emerlyn laughed and faced the wind, letting it sweep back her dark hair.

When her father returned, he smiled quickly at her and told her that he and her uncle would have to go ashore soon, and he wanted her to stay on the boat no matter what.

Which she did not agree with. "I thought you didn't like leaving me alone with the other sailors."

"I don't. Which is why you are going to stay in captain's quarters with the door locked."

"Why can't I just go with you?" She asked with a frown. "Nothing bad's gonna happen. Especially not with both of you there with me."

"I don't know, Em." He sighed. "We don't really know what's out there."

"Please?" She asked again. "I want to go."

He looked out at the shoreline and dragged a hand through his hair. "Alright." He sighed at last. "But you stay beside me the whole time."

She nodded quickly. "Yes sir."

Killian laughed quietly. "Makes me feel old."

"Would 'yes, Lieutenant' make you feel better?"

He snorted and shook his head. "Not at all. 'Dad' will do just fine."

She smiled.

He scrunched up his face at her before Liam emerged and looked at Killian skeptically. "I thought she was going to stay in my room."

"Change of plans." Emer said with a grin. "I'm coming with you."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "You're sure?" He asked Killian.

"No, but she's managed to convince me."

Liam smiled. "Never takes much with her, does it?"

"No." Killian agrees with a grin of his own.

She smiled sweetly at both of them.

"Let's go." Liam said as he started forward. "We only have so long to get what we're after."

"Which would be what?" Killian asked as he quickly followed his brother, hand gently holding Emer's elbow.

She was curious too as she put down her notebook, hiding it on the deck.

"I'll tell you later." He promised.

"Mate," Killian started with a laugh. "It's as late as you can get right now."

"I'll tell you when we're on the island."

"Alright." Killian agreed hesitantly before they set off for the small island.

He helped Emerlyn into to boat.

She smiled slightly at him before they started rowing out.

She sat down, helping when the two adults would let her, which wasn't very often. She was usually stuck watching the two of them and the island drawing ever closer.

Once they ran aground, Killian turned expectantly towards his brother. "What are we after?"

"Dreamshade, a plant that can cure any illness." Liam said, at least that's what he thought it was.

Emer thought she had heard the name once before, and she wasn't sure it was for healing, but she couldn't be sure. And her father's questioning expression as he saw her skepticism didn't help anything.

She waved him off, sure it was nothing.

He nodded and the three set off into the forest, Liam leading the way with Killian and Emer close behind.

When they found the Dreamshade, a boy that looked about Emer's age appeared beside them, dressed in dark green clothes. "I wouldn't," he warned. "That's poison."

"Poison?" Killian repeated incredulously. "I think you're mistaken."

"Am I?" He asked. "I only live here."

Killian and Emer both turned to Liam, and Killian eased over to stand in front of his daughter.

The boy was watching her closely, curiously.

"Nonsense," Liam scoffed. "I'll prove it." He tore off a branch of the plant and cut himself with a thorn, dragging it up his arm from just above his wrist to just below his elbow.

Killian leaned forward, trying to stop him, but it was too late.

Suddenly black veins bulged on his arms and he hit the ground.

Emer gasped, blue eyes wide with fear.

Killian shoved her back from the dreamshade and her uncle, blue eyes wide and fearful as he knelt beside his brother.

"He'll die when that poison reaches his heart," the boy in green told Killian.

"How do you stop it?" He demanded, trying not to touch the dreamshade while helping his brother as much as he could.

He waved a hand it opened a waterfall behind the dreamshade. "The water will heal him, but all magic comes with a price. Are you prepared to pay it?"

"What's your price?" Killian asked, already starting to prepare himself to drag Liam to the falls.

But the boy was gone.

"Dad," Emer said quietly. "Give me your canteen. I'll get the water."

"No." He said protectively, quickly rising from his brother's side. "I'll get it."

She nodded slightly, moving to her uncle's side.

She turned her back on her father as he knelt to retrieve the water.

And the boy appeared behind her again.

She gasped and fell on her butt.

"You're pretty," he said bluntly, and Emer blushed.

"Thank you…What's your name?" She asked quietly, still not able to look him quite in the eyes after his blunt compliment.

"Peter. Peter Pan."

She glanced down to her dying uncle before looking back up at the boy and fighting not to turn and look for her father. "What was that price you mentioned?" She asked softly. "What kind of magic?"

"All magic," he said with a shrug. "Doesn't matter what kind."

"Okay," she said slowly. "And what is he going to have to pay?"

"Depends for all kinds of magic."

"Gold?"

"No." Peter said slowly. "Usually something more precious than that."

"Like what?"

He shrugged.

"Okay?"

"Oh, I think it's been paid." Peter said excitedly, pointing for her to look.

"What?" She asked as she looked that direction.

Her father was gone, and so was the waterfall.

Emer gasped and turned back to look at her uncle, but he was gone too. It was only her and Peter Pan left alone in the forest.

But she hadn't been in the forest…

"What did you do?!" Emerlyn asked in alarm.

"What did I do?" He asked with wide eyed innocence. "What makes you think I did something. Maybe the price to save your uncle's life was you."

She opened her mouth to protest, but… maybe it was. But she was sure that her father wouldn't just leave her here. Not with this strange boy. Not just… just abandon her like that.

She felt cold dread settle in her chest. She'd been left behind.

She knew he loved her Uncle Liam, but to just leave her? She tried her hardest not to accept it.

"He wouldn't." She whispered. "He wouldn't… wouldn't just leave me here."

"See for yourself." Peter urged, stepping over to push a stand of saplings aside so Emer could see their ship out in the cove… sailing away…

And she had tears running down her cheeks.

"Come on," Peter said softly. "I know somewhere you can go. Where everyone was abandoned, just like you."

"Em!" Hook called desperately. "Emer?! EMERLYN!" He shouted, crashing through the trees like a madman. He had turned for one second, and once he looked back… Liam was gone and his daughter and the boy had vanished.

She could've sworn she heard him. "Dad?!" She called back.

"He's not coming back for you." Peter said sharply, waving his hand and the call of her father abruptly faded.

Pan pointed back to the ship sailing away from the island. "He's already left, Emer." He said, much softer, hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged him off. "I heard him," she said quietly, tears still falling down her cheeks.

"Sometimes the mind plays tricks." Pan insisted. "Here, listen again…"

Nothing. Only the wind in the leaves and the birds chirping overhead like Emer's whole life wasn't vanishing before her.

Killian had screamed himself practically hoarse, he had heard her, heard Emer call for him. But she never shouted for him again. His mind immediately went to the worst possible thought he could have thought.

He couldn't lose her though. Not today. Not ever. And especially not after just losing Liam too.

He searched all over the island for her, crying out for her until he was so far past hoarse he could barely breathe.

Killian finally collapsed as the sun started to set again. It was hopeless. She was gone too. If she had been able she would have called back for him, let him know she was still alive. He let himself sob for his lost family, cry into the forest as he mourned the loss of now what little was left. It was only him.

After such a long time of hopeless, broken sobs expelling from his throat that already felt like pins and needles every time he took a breath, he forced himself back to his feet. "I will find you, Emerlyn," he vowed to himself before screaming. "You hear me?! I will find you!" And he left for the ship—his ship. With Liam gone he was captain, and he wasn't leaving this cursed island until he found his daughter.

Except for one problem, he still worked for the king's navy. So he went back and fixed that quickly, declaring himself as a pirate. Then he met Milah.

And for a time, he was distracted, blessedly numb to the loss of his daughter, but when he lost his hand and the dark haired beauty to the crocodile…

He returned with a vengeance to Neverland. He wanted to destroy the person that had taken his daughter from him. He was going to kill Peter Pan if it was the last thing he did.

But when he looked back on what had happened with Milah, he realized he hadn't been numb to the loss of his child, despite what he thought. When he needed to find somewhere, he looked at her journal of stars, when he was especially tense he hummed the old sea song that he used to sing to Emer as a lullaby. Everything made him miss his only child. That was a hole in his chest that could never be refilled. Not until he found her. And he wasn't going to stop searching, and then he'd rip out that mongrel Pan's heart out with his shiny new hook.

So he actively hunted the Lost Boy leader and his band of brats. He never caught sight of his daughter, just heard her beautiful singing voice every so often as she called to recruit more.

And he had to leave behind his crew every time they heard her. They couldn't hear, they weren't lost, but he could hear, and he felt his heart break a little every time at the thought that she thought she had been left behind.

She had no idea that the so-called villain Captain Hook was her father searching for her all across Neverland. And he knew it was because Pan wouldn't let her, whatever he was doing it was keeping Emer from getting anywhere near him. Because Pan knew that the moment Emerlyn found out her father hadn't left her, he'd lose his favorite Lost One.

And she was very much his favorite. His only Lost Girl. The most beautiful of their group. And her voice entranced him just as much as it did the first time he had heard it, called to him just as strongly as it did to the Lost Boys—maybe even a little stronger.

He followed her everywhere. There was almost no moment when she wasn't in sight of either him or Felix, she was constantly watched, and when she wasn't singing to attract more Lost Boy's, she was at the compound, and forced to be by Pan's side when he wasn't drawing away the pirates. For the first few years it was alright, she didn't mind so much, but after a while it became smothering, then he turned almost obsessive towards her.

She tried to sneak away, using the excuse that she was continuing to call lost boys.

But Felix was always close behind her, Pan would never let her stray far. And if she ever did start singing, he would appear behind her.

Especially when she unintentionally made her voice stronger, unaware that she had.

Pan stuck even closer to her than her own shadow after that, only leaving her when he had to scare off Hook.

And most of the time, he used his shadow for that—if it would work.

For another several years, Emer was trapped by him, and the closer he got, the more his true colors shone. The dark ones, the evil he had only hinted at before. He was a monster.

And she wanted nothing more than to escape.

He wouldn't let her go, he truly was obsessed with her. And Peter didn't like to let go of what he had taken, which only made her want away from him even worse.

It finally got to the point that she snuck away one day, grabbing onto the sleeve of a member of Captain Hook's crew in desperation once she was far from the compound.

"I want off the island." She whispered quickly, a dirty hand clamped over his mouth to keep the man from screaming. "Tell your captain to meet me behind the waterfall at mermaid lagoon. No Pan. No tricks."

He nodded quickly.

She sighed a quick breath in relief, nodding herself. "Thank you." And just like that, she was gone into the trees again, vanished without a trace as the man ran back to the ship to tell the infamous Captain what the Lost Girl wanted.

She waited out there for the Captain.

He never showed though, Peter had attacked him just as he entered the lagoon, and the male to step through the waterfall wasn't the pirate she was expecting.

Felix glared murderously at her from under soaked bangs. "Oh, you've done it now." He accused.

She was stepped back. "Stay back, Felix." She warned in a voice that was surprisingly not shaky.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Or what? You were going to betray us." He hissed. "Leave Peter."

"Peter's not my family!" Emer snarled.

"Your family left you!" Felix shouted. "Your family abandoned you!"

"Pan stole me from my family!" She snapped back.

"That's not true." Felix snarked and Emer flinched as he charged her. "You have no family." He spat. "They left you like they left all of us."

"You gave up on your family!" She snapped, fighting away from Felix. "I haven't given up on mine. I will get off this island and I will find my father!"

"Your father has already given up on you." Felix insisted.

"They've all given up on you. Don't you think they would have come looking if they hadn't?" The voice that spoke that was calmer, yet struck more fear in Emer than the furious Felix before her.

Pan had arrived, and just because he didn't sound angry didn't mean he wasn't just as angry as his second in command.

She slapped Felix across the face and screamed so loud that she made leaves die and fall of trees.

Less than three hundred yards from the cave, Killian tried to move forward at his daughter's scream. He had no idea what Pan had done to him, but it took every ounce of his strength to even try and move, his vision blurry and dancing with dark spots that threatened to overwhelm him as he dragged himself forward inch by agonizing inch.

Emer bolted away from the Lost Boys, but she never saw her father. She dashed to the right, the direction opposite of Pan's compound, whereas he had collapsed on the left side of the rocks, the outcroppings completely hiding him from her line of sight.

When Hook finally got free, he found Felix and attacked. "What did you do to her?!" He snarled, his hook pressing against his throat.

Felix backed up, chin high and the left half of his face covered in a bright red handprint. "Told her the truth." He spat. "That her father wasn't ever coming back for her."

Killian pushed the hook closer to his skin, pinning the Lost Boy against a trees with a furious cry. "You stupid bastards are the reason she's lost. I never ever stopped looking for her. And I never will. And when I kill Pan, my daughter's coming home."

"Then I guess you should kill me." Felix suggested. "You're never going to kill Peter. You're never going to get your daughter back."

Killian made a noise that sounded like an animal's snarl and slung his hook across Felix's face before he was gone in the other direction, following Emer's trail.

Felix touched the new cut, his fingers coming away red.

He glowered after the man as Pan appeared beside him again, furious. "You've done well, Felix." He complimented as gently as he could. "But find her. Emer can't leave this island."

"Yes, Peter," Felix said, following them through the woods.

They tracked Hook first, the man leaving a much more obvious trail than the small teen had. But they were going the same direction, so they didn't need to track her.

Or they thought they didn't, Emer didn't know it was the captain following her, and in the fear, she tried to lose him, throwing him off her trail as best she could.

But Killian knew her, and he knew what she'd do.

She wanted off the island, so she was going to try and find a way off. His ship. And if she made it they could both leave Neverland forever. So he took a different trail to lead Felix off her path, and it worked.

Pan wasn't so easily fooled though, while Felix chased after Hook, he flew overhead to try and catch Emer in her ruse and betrayal.

She gasped and swerved through the woods, trying desperately to reach the beach and the pirate ship. She reached the beach and tore across the sand, her eyes going wide when she saw the ship. It was her uncle's, but… he was gone, so it was her father's. She saw Pan gaining on her and rushed into the water, diving under the waves.

He hesitated just over the water, she might have submersed herself, but he was still right on top of her. He wouldn't let her go. Emer felt panic setting in, she wanted to just let go, stop holding her breath and let the ocean pull her out, sink her to the bottom. Anything to get away from Pan.

She could see the bottom of her father's ship and she was going to get to him.

She swam as fast as she could to teach the barnacled covered bottom, hoping Peter wouldn't be foolish enough to try and attack her with all the pirates attention on him.

She resurfaced beside the ship and called to the pirates onboard, but whenever Pan got close, she ducked back under the waves.

It was a long time before any of them managed to get a rope down to her so they could try and hoist her aboard without Pan reaching her, but Emer held on as tightly as she could as she was lifted up out of the water.

She fell onto the deck, shivering and drenched.

A thick blanket was quickly wrapped around her shoulders and the crew seemed to keep their distance after that. She was aboard… but where was her father?

"Where's your captain?" She asked, standing up.

"Out looking for the Lost Girl." One said simply, all of them looking at her knowingly. "Who knows what he does when he can't find her though."

"He's looking for me?" She asked in surprise. "Is there any way you can get in touch with him from here?"

"No."

She looked back toward the beach before she saw Pan's shadow diving for her. She shed the blanket and leapt off the side of the boat again. She swam toward the shore.

"Captain Hook!" She called when she was just barely shallow enough to stand.

The shadow dove back down towards her, trying to pull her out of the water as she cried out again for the captain, for her father. But she ducked under again, and the shadow couldn't get her. No shadows underwater.

It let out an angered shriek and when Emer resurfaced she called out as loudly as she could for her father. And she heard him call back, running across the sand to the water where he saw the swarming shadow and a bobbing head.

Emer stopped calling, just evading the dark creature above her as Hook ran into the water.

He was close enough to see that it really was his little girl when she ducked into the water again to try and get away again. Killian dove himself, grabbing her around the waist protectively when he was close enough.

She locked her arms around his neck, holding on tightly against the odds that he might let her go.

When they got back onto the ship, they were almost safe. Until Pan's shadow dove and grabbed her, pulling her from Hook's arms with a scream from the Lost Girl.

"NO!" Killian cried, desperately rushing to try and catch the shadow, but it was gone. And it had taken Emer with it. She was gone. His little girl, literally torn from his arms for a second time.

When she was dropped back on the beach, she tumbled right to Pan's feet. "I'm so disappointed in you," he said, shaking his head. "Now it looks like you need to be punished, so you never try to run again."


	2. Chapter One

**Hi, guys! I know it's been a long time since I updated this story, and I'm very sorry about that. I never had time to update it, and I lost all of the planning I had so I could set up the next chapters. But I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll try to do better, I promise! But I thought I'd give the story a little updating.**

* * *

 _ **Lost Girl**_

Killian walked behind David through the thick brush of the Neverland forest, doing everything he could to tune out the soft sound of singing that echoed across the forest, the sound they moved closer to with every trekking path they made through the thick foliage. He wanted to rush toward the noise, grab his daughter, and carry her back to the _Jolly Roger_ so they could escape this wretched place. At the same time, he knew better than to try to take on Pan without help. He'd done so before, and it hadn't worked out. Now that he was there with some help, he could convince them to help him save his little Emerlyn. After all, what kind of heroes would they be to only stay to save their own child, and leave another innocent girl to the demon that was Peter Pan.

When he found that monstrous creature of a boy, he was going to rip his heart out with his hook, just like he swore he would so many years ago.

"The ridge is just a few-hundred paces up ahead," Hook informed the others as he lifted a lantern and glanced back at Emma, who almost seemed like a startled deer at the soft sound of the ever-growing melody. It was obvious she was trying to hold herself together, and not rush to find out what the sound was.

"You really think we're going to be able to see Pan's hideout?" Emma asked, shaking off some of her wavering at the sounds of music.

"From there, we should be able to see everything," Killian assured, turning slightly to look back at Emma and Regina. "Including where he's keeping your son." _And my daughter_.

"You know," Regina complained, "I could've just _poofed_ us up here in an instant."

"Where?" Hook scoffed at the Evil Queen. "You don't have any idea what's up here, or anywhere. There are dangers all about, and only I can guide us past them."

"He's right," Emma pointed out as Killian turned back around. "Hook's lived here before. If he says hiking up is the best way, then we listen."

He kept pushing them forward, hoping Charming wouldn't stop any time soon so he could find his daughter and get her off this bloody island where she'd been trapped for two-hundred years, losing faith that he would ever come back for her, where his daughter was becoming another Lost One—the Lost One that Pan favored above all of the others.

David moved to hack at another vine, but Killian stopped him quickly, grabbing his arm to stop the swing of the sword with a quick shout.

He was wildly cursing himself. The singing was strongest here, his little Em was so close now, but… Pan had hidden her behind thick tangles of Dreamshade, knowing Hook wouldn't dare touch it.

Charming looked at him, scowling. "I can handle a couple of thorns."

"That's Dreamshade." Killian found himself staring at the black poison dripping off of the large, sharp thorns. "It's not the thorns you have to worry about, it's the poison they inject you with. This plant is the source of the toxins I used on the Dark One."

"The poison that almost killed Gold?" Emma asked in surprise.

"Indeed," Killian confirmed. "I used a concentrated dose. In its natural form, death would be much slower and far more painful. I suggest we go this way." He motioned down a path free of the dangerous foliage.

"And behind it?" Emma asked suddenly.

Killian stiffened.

"What is it? It sounds like music, and it keeps getting louder. It's loudest here. Whatever it is, it's behind the Dreamshade."

"Emma?" Mary Margaret asked in surprise. "I don't hear anything."

"Neither do I," Regina said with a shrug. "The Savior's crazy."

"Quite the opposite, actually." The captain forced his tone to stay even. "What you're hearing behind those brambles is Pan's most dangerous weapon. That's how he's keeping us away from h—it."

"A weapon?" Charming asked, raising both eyebrows. "If he's using a weapon against us, then shouldn't we destroy it?"

"I can't believe that I agree with Charming," Regina said simply. "Pan doesn't need anything else that he can use to stop us from rescuing Henry. We need to destroy this weapon."

"No!" Hook snarled before he could stop himself. He swallowed hard, and spoke again, calmer, but still tightly-wound, like a coil stretched almost too far—it wouldn't take much more for him to pop. "No. That would only alert Pan that we're here, and possibly put Henry in even more danger. Just wait. Sh—The weapon is not something we need to deal with right now."

David pointed his sword in the opposite direction that Hook had pointed. "Fine. But we'll go this way."

Regina followed, stepping in front of Killian, followed by Snow White, and then Emma.

Killian spoke up as Emma moved forward. "Your father's a distrustful fellow."

Emma looked at him before glancing back to her parents. "He's just not used to working with the bad guys."

"I can assure you, on this island, I am _not_ the bad guy," he replied, shaking his head slightly.

Emma shrugged slightly before she moved forward again. "Well, Pan's not supposed to be one either."

"What could possibly give you that idea?"

"Every story I ever read as a child."

"Well, they all got it wrong," Killian said, his tone a little sharper than he meant for it to be as he moved along behind Emma. "Pan is the most treacherous villain I've ever faced." He grabbed her by the arm, struck by curiosity. "In these stories, what was I like? Other than a villain. Handsome, I gather."

"Sure," Emma said, pushing forward again. "If wax mustaches and perms are your thing."

Hook stood in confusion for a moment. "I take it by your tone that perms are bad?"

"Up here!" David called suddenly, and Emma moved forward a little quicker.

"We made it," Charming continued, looking over the edge of the ridge as the whole group arrived to peer off the side.

They looked over the thickly grown forest, the nearby sound of singing starting to soften again as they reached the cliff.

Killian looked out at the forest. "Pan's lair should be right over—"

"Where?" Regina interrupted. "I don't see anything but overgrown jungle."

"Aye," Hook said, peering over the edge. "The Dark Jungle." He lifted his spyglass and pulled it to its full length with his teeth, placing it over one eye and closing the other. "It's, uh, grown somewhat since I last set foot in Neverland."

Regina huffed, shaking her head. "So this nature hike was for nothing."

"So Hook led us astray, fine," David said, looking down at the vast forest.

Killian rolled his eyes. He was exactly where _he_ needed to be. He thought that they would also be where they needed to be.

"But at least we're in a good position to start combing the jungle."

"Unlikely," the pirate spoke up again. "The dark jungle's the last place you want to set foot. We'll have to go around it. In order to do that we'll need our strength. I suggest we make camp."

"You want to sleep while my son is out there suffering?" Regina asked in frustration.

"If you want to live long enough to save the boy," Killian said simply, "yes." He turned and walked back down the path that had been made on their way up.

The singing was getting louder again, so loud, in fact, Killian was almost willing to start setting up their campsite beside the Dreamshade so he would be closer to his daughter than he had been in more years than he cared to remember.

He wondered if she would hear him if he called out for her, or if Pan devised a way to stop her from hearing him as well. It wouldn't have surprised him if that little demon had done so.

* * *

Everyone in the camp was asleep, except Killian. He knew there was no way he could even attempt to rest when his daughter was so close, but still out of his reach. He just rested, relaxing to the sound of her singing that ran constant, soft, and beautiful throughout the night.

Emma seemed to be the only other one having trouble sleeping, tossing and turning restlessly beneath her blankets. Then she jolted awake suddenly, crawling from beneath her blankets and pulling free her curved short sword as she stood, looking around the campsite defensively.

"Guys, wake up," Emma tried in an urgent whisper, but no one moved.

Killian stayed still, acting as though he were asleep to figure out exactly what Emma was up to. But soon Emma was too far away for Killian to hear what was happening.

She inched toward the sound of Emer's singing, stepping just outside the boundaries of their camp when someone spoke.

"You hear that too?"

She whirled around, blonde hair swinging and sword blade up as she turned to face Peter Pan. She looked him up and down warily.

"You're Emma, right?" He asked, lounging in the crook of a y-shaped tree.

She said nothing, still holding out her sword.

"I wonder why they can't hear the singing," Pan said with a small shrug, standing from his place in the tree.

Emma backed up a step as Pan took one toward her. "Who are you?"

"Oh, did I forget to introduce myself?" He asked, looking directly at Emma with no reaction about the sword held toward him. "I'm Peter. Peter Pan."

Emma wasted no time in adjusting her grip on the sword and pinning him back against the tree he had been lounging in. "Where's Henry?"

Pan laughed slightly. "You've got fire. I like fire. You aren't the only one on this island with it, either. I've got a Lost One with more fire than I've seen in ten men, and that's why she's so special to me. I like her fire."

"I don't care," Emma snarled, holding Pan pinned steadily. "Where's my son?"

"Henry's still alive if that's what you're worried about."

"Why'd you take him?"

"He's a very special boy, Emma."

"I know." Emma's tone was cold. "Now answer my question: what do _you_ want with him?"

"I came here to see who I was up against," Pan explained simply. "The Savior. Gotta say I'm not disappointed."

Emma tilted her head slightly. "What are you gonna say now? Tell me how I'm never going to see my son again?"

"No," Pan all but scoffed, "I'm going to help you find him."

Emma looked at him in disbelief.

"I'll give you a map," Pan offered.

Emma lowered her sword and backed off of the lead Lost Boy, but kept the blade pointed toward him.

Pan pulled a sheet of parchment from his clothes. "A map that will lead you straight to your son."

Emma kept her gaze on him steadily. "If this is some kind of trap…"

Pan chuckled slightly. "I may not be the most well-behaved boy on the island, but I always keep my promises. The path to finding Henry _is_ on this parchment."

Emma lowered the sword slowly. "Why are you giving it to me?"

"See, it's not about _finding_ him," Pan corrected. "It's about _how_ you find him."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"And, Emma," Pan said, "you're the only one who can."

Emma never broke the eye contact between them as she took the parchment from his hand. She opened it, only looking away from Pan when she glanced down to see what was on it.

It was blank.

Emma looked back up. "It's blank."

"To be able to read that map," Pan explained, "you must stop denying who you really are."

Emma looked at him in confusion, brow furrowing in confusion as she looked down at the blank map once again. When she looked back up, Pan was gone.

* * *

Killian was sitting in deep thought as Regina paced and Emma explained her encounter with Pan, and the map he gave her.

"He so like his games," Killian said harshly, sitting at the edge of their campsite closest to the sound of his daughter's singing.

"What game?" Regina scoffed. "There's nothing there."

Hook looked up and pointed to the blank paper Emma was staring at. "If he says there's a map on this parchment, then there is."

"Great," Emma said bitterly, staring at the blank parchment. "I just have to stop denying who I really am—whatever that means—then we'll be able to read this thing."

"How do we know Pan won't use it to lead us straight into a trap?" Regina asked, turning to look pointedly at the pirate captain who had the most experience with Pan and Neverland.

"Because he doesn't need to," Killian said, rising to his feet. "This whole island's his bloody trap."

David and Mary Margaret returned from the woods at a swift pace.

"There's no sign of him anywhere," David informed them quickly.

"Any luck with the map?" Mary Margaret asked hopefully.

"Don't hold your breath," Regina grumbled.

Emma frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't you see what he's doing?" Regina asked again. "Every second we spend talking about this is a second we're not spending looking for my son!"

"You got any better ideas?" Emma asked, her eyes still focused on the blank map.

"Magic," Regina said simply.

Snow White looked up in concern. David sighed and looked down. Emma's expression shifted, and she shook her head slightly.

"If there's a lock on that map, then I can find a way around it." Regina reached for the blank parchment, and Emma snatched it away quickly.

"Pan said it had to be me," the blonde snapped quickly.

Regina looked around for any support.

"I'd listen to Emma." Killian knew that game all too well, and he gave Regina a warning look. "Breaking Pan's rules would be unwise."

Regina rolled her eyes.

"Sadly, I agree with the pirate," David said simply.

Killian turned and smiled at him. "I'm winning you over, I can feel it."

Charming rolled his eyes.

"And your magic doesn't exactly have a gentle touch, Regina," Snow pointed out with a small shrug.

Regina looked at her, almost offended.

"If you use it on the map it might blow up in all our faces," David argued, motioning to the sheet of parchment.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Regina snapped at him, one hand on her hip.

"Well I'm not," Emma interrupted, rising to her feet.

Regina looked back at her, expression almost surprised.

"If I'm gonna figure out this thing I need to do what Pan said," Emma finished, holding the map away from Regina.

"Great," the Evil Queen grumbled, walking away.

"She'll get there," Mary Margaret defended.

She and the rest of the group were silent for a long moment before Snow White looked at Emma. "Hey," she started to comfort.

The blonde looked up at her.

Snow smiled reassuringly. "If he's playing a game, you can win."

* * *

Emma sat and stared at the blank parchment, trying to give it an answer. "My name is Emma Swan."

Killian meandered over, fingers looked around his belt loop. "I'd wager the solution to Pan's riddle is a bit more complicated than that."

David and Mary Margaret were looking at Emma in anticipation.

"Don't hold anything back," Mary Margaret encouraged.

Emma looked back down at the blank parchment. "I'm Henry's mother. I used to live in Boston, and I was a bail-bondsperson. I'm now the sheriff of Storybrooke."

Regina, who was unhappily leaning against a tree, facing away from the others, spoke up next. "That sheriff's election was a sham. Now, are we really doing this?"

Mary Margaret, ignoring Regina, turned back to her daughter. "Don't you think that maybe… you're leaving some things out?"

Emma looked back down at the supposed map, inhaling deeply and clearing her throat before she spoke again. "I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, Which apparently makes me the product of true love."

Killian looked away from Emma at the term. His Emerlyn had been a product of true love too. It was why she had such a magnificent and magical voice. Of course Pan had found a way to corrupt that too.

Emma continued, now looking at her parents instead of the parchment. "I was born in the Enchanted Forest, and sent through a portal in a tree so that I could break a curse."

David pushed to his feet, taking a step toward Emma. "And you were able to break the curse because…"

Emma looked up at him, her blue eyes getting a little wider.

"You're the…" David pressed.

Emma rolled her eyes.

Mary Margaret stood up next. "Come on, you don't need to feel embarrassed to say it."

Killian looked a little confused. "Say what?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "The _S_ word."

Emma took a deep breath and sat up as tall as she could, looking back at the blank parchment and finally saying, "I'm the Savior."

Everyone looked at the blank map to see it anything would change.

Nothing did.

Emma looked up in confusion as everyone seemed to slump a little with lost hope.

"No, I don't get it," the blonde argued quickly. "I said I'm the Savior. There's nothing I've denied harder than that."

"No, it's okay," Mary Margaret assured, though she looked more than confused herself. "We'll figure it out."

"No you won't," Regina said firmly as she moved forward like she was in a mission. She snatched the parchment from Emma's hands.

"Regina!"

"But _I_ can," the Evil Queen snapped, beginning to cast her spell on the map. "I'm beginning to think there's not a map on here. But that doesn't mean it can't lead us to Henry."

David was quick to reply. "Whoa, I thought we agreed we weren't using magic."

"For once I agree with the prince," Killian said just as quickly.

David looked at him in surprise.

Killian only shrugged a little. "Well I told you we were getting along."

Charming rolled his eyes as he turned back around.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked Regina, her eyes wide but her tone not demanding.

"A locator spell," Regina said simply. "This parchment belonged to Pan. It'll lead us to him."

The parchment, now glowing golden, floated into the air in front of Regina, and the others watched as it began to float away from their campsite, and toward the Dark Jungle.

Hook motioned with his hand. "So it appears we will be venturing into the Dark Jungle after all."

"You mean the place you told us never to set foot?" Emma asked flatly as she watched the blank map.

"That's the one."

"Well, Emma," Regina said as she stepped up beside the Savior. "You said you wanted to be the leader. Lead."

David looked back at his daughter in concern.

Emma started forward, ready to follow the map.

Killian didn't want to go. He didn't want to go any farther away from his daughter than he already was.

* * *

"Ready to thank me?" Regina asked as they followed the map.

"Actually, yeah," Emma replied, walking just behind the Evil Queen.

"If you'd let me do it sooner, maybe we'd have found him by now." They walked a few more steps before Regina held out a hand and stopped the map, her slight smile faded completely.

"He's there," she said simply, "Pan. I can smell his smugness."

Charming stepped forward and pulled out his sword. "Shall we? While we still have the element of surprise on our side?"

He moved forward without waiting on an answer.

Regina followed with little hesitation.

Hook sauntered forward next, giving Emma and Snow White a warning he had learned the hard way. "Careful. He may look like a boy, but he's a bloody demon."

Mary Margaret stepped up beside her daughter. "Hey. We can do this."

* * *

The group crept through Pan's encampment, quiet until Mary Margaret burst out with, "No one's here. Maybe your spell was wrong, Regina."

"Yes, blame me," she snapped, turning to look at Snow White with a quieter voice as she added, "again."

David stepped down to look around with his sword ready before the others followed.

There was no one around, not until they reached the other side of the camp, and Emma spotted a dark haired boy in Henry's clothes.

"Is that…?" She slid around her father, moving forward as she called out, "Henry!"

The boy turned, but it wasn't Henry. It was Pan, smiling as he turned around, wearing Henry's clothes. "Hi, Emma."

All of them stopped dead in their tracks, Killian glaring harder than the rest.

"Where the hell is Henry?" Emma demanded.

Pan shook his head as he paced back and forth before them. "You broke the rules. That's not fair." He stepped toward the thicker parts of the jungle. "Bad form." He looked at Killian. "I expect more from you, Captain."

"Aye," Hook replied sharply. "And you'll get it."

"Give Henry to me!" Emma demanded a second time.

"Sorry," Pan said simply, "can't. Don't you know? Cheaters never win."

On cue, Lost Boys began to file from the woods with torches and weapons like spears and bows and arrows, surrounding the camp.

Pan smirked at the group.

"Watch out for their arrows," Hook warned quickly. "They're laced with Dreamshade."

"Oh, and Captain," Pan called suddenly, still smirking. "I've got a surprise for you."

He whistled, and a young girl, about Henry's age, with a tangled mess of black hair was brought forward. She was pretty, surprisingly so for her age, but no one could see what her eye color was. She was blindfolded, with her hands tied together at the wrists.

"Emerlyn!" Killian shouted, but the name was broken into more of a rasping choke at the sight of her.

She flinched, recognizing the voice. "Stop playing games, Pan," she said as firmly as her shaking voice could manage. "I didn't do anything wrong. Call off your shadow!"

"Em," Hook tried again, almost dropping his guard, but catching himself before he did. His tone was clearer, but more desperate this time. "Em, it's me!"

"Stop it!" Emer shouted, the tone making the ground shake a little beneath their feet. "It's not you."

"I told you, Captain," Pan said with a smile. "She's mine."

Killian let out a cry that was almost like a roar, and the Lost Boys began firing their arrows.

The fight ensued.

Regina was blasting Lost Boys with magic while David defended Mary Margaret as she shot.

Killian was charging forward in a rage, only to be intercepted by Felix, who caught his Hook on a sword.

"It's been awhile, Captain."

"Not long enough," Killian growled. "But I'll be happy to give you another scar."

They fought one another quickly, and Killian stopped Felix's blade again. "Remember what I did to Rufio?" The Captain snarled. "Well, it's a far worse fate for you. After everything you've done to my daughter."

Felix let out a cry of anger as he slammed his blade back into Hook's.

Pan let out a whistle, and all the Lost Boys retreated back to his side.

"Remember what I told you," Pan said to Emma simply. "That map will show you where Henry is, but only when you stop denying who you really are." He stepped back with the rest of his Lost Boys, taking Emer's scarred hand to lead the blindfolded girl away. "I'll make sure to send Henry your regards."

"Emerlyn!" Killian called one more time, his tone growing more desperate every time he said her name. "Em, please. It's me."

Her steps faltered, not because she believed him, but because of the pang of sadness she felt when he spoke.

In one final effort before she was gone with Pan, Killian rushed forward, and pulled out the journal that was in his jacket.

When it landed at her feet, the blindfolded girl paused, pulling her hand free from Pan's with more effort than it should've taken unless Pan was gripping her far too tight.

She knelt, feeling around on the ground until she felt the worn leather cover of the journal until she found the engraved initials in the bottom corner. _EMJ_. Her initials.

"Dad?" She called, clutching the book in her tied-together hands.

Pan snarled and tried to haul her away, but Emer let out a scream so loud and so powerful that Pan collapsed at the sound, and so did the group of adults, except for Killian, who willed himself to stay standing.

Felix rushed back toward Pan as Emerlyn pushed her blindfold off, revealing blue eyes that were identical to Hook's.

Felix helped Pan back to his feet before he rushed at Emer with his sword out to stop her.

She was almost to her father, who had moved to meet her halfway as the others still recovered from the scream, when Felix's blade parted them.

Emer, on instinct, thrust out her bound hands to stop the blade from hitting anywhere more vital, dropping the journal in the process.

It sliced both of the palms wide open.

She cried out in pain, closing her fists tightly, which only made the pain worse.

Killian practically threw Felix backward, pushing Emer behind him as he and Pan retreated.

But the pirate knew this wasn't the end of it. He knew Pan would do anything to keep Emer all to himself.

He cut Emer's wrists free and pulled her close before he saw the tears she was trying to hide and remembered her injuries.

"Come on," he told the other adults quickly, picking up Emer's journal. "We have to go."

* * *

"I think _someone_ has some explaining to do," Regina said, breaking the silence through their camp as Killian tended to his daughter's wounded hands and Emma stared at the blank parchment again.

Hook looked up, trying to play off what had happened at Pan's campsite nonchalantly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Regina actually laughed a little. "Really? Because we just added a new member to our camp that used to work for _Pan_."

Killian scowled at her as David turned around, obviously with questions of his own.

"She didn't have a choice," Killian said simply, tugging his daughter closer to his side.

"And what _exactly_ is the relationship here?" David asked, crossing his arms. "Because I thought I heard her say _dad_."

"I did," Emer said simply, finally speaking up to defend herself. "He's my father."

Hook nodded.

Everyone else that was paying attention looked startled.

"So that's why you agreed to take us here," Regina said like the whole world suddenly made sense. "So you could save your daughter."

"Yes," The pirate said simply. There was no point in denying it. "She's spent two-hundred bloody years on this island. That's long enough But I still plan on helping you save Henry. I don't want any other child to suffer the same fate."

Emer slid into his side, her hands still throbbing. "I know where they're keeping Henry."

Emma and Mary Margaret rushed over almost as if on cue. "So do we."

Emma held out the map, which now showed Henry's location.

It wasn't going to be an easy trek, but now they had two people that knew the island.

Hope was starting to return to the group. Maybe the really could find Henry.


End file.
